I Would Wait A Lifetime
by Twas A Dream
Summary: Caroline has found Stefan, she helped him get past the bloodlust. She's let him out of the cellar, things are finally going back to normal. What happens when Stefan gets jealous of Tyler spending so much time with Caroline?
1. Chapter 1

I Need To Come Back 

_You fall back onto the same old ways  
>But those were darker days you found<br>But still you go  
>It must be important to you<br>It must feel like nothing at all  
>When you're desperate for something to prove<br>You've just got a little further to fall_

_-Further To Fall by Dan Craig  
><em>

His heart was pumping, his legs carried him through the forest. His arms violently breaking branches out of his way as he sprinted. He could hear it, smell it. His mouth watered. He needed it, he wanted it. Increasing his speed and closing in on his targeted prey. He attacked; his fangs broke the skin and sunk into the neck of a curly haired brunette woman. Her screams sounded muffled to him as he drank her blood. He could hear her blood pumping and he felt her breaths become smaller until her heart beat became stilled and finally stopped. He drank her dry, he had emptied her. He had killed her. What had he become? How could he let himself become this? _You did it to save Damon_. The voice in the shadows of his mind tells him. _Klaus made you like this. He made you become who you really are, a reaper. But, _the voice said, _you enjoy it. You enjoy the feeling, the sensation. You enjoy the killing. You've finally accepted what you are, and all those silly foolish things you told Caroline, about not giving into it and fighting it. They are a lie. When you feel the blood rush in, you don't fight it or bury it, you go for the attack, you kill it. And that's exactly what you've been doing. That's exactly what Klaus has reminded you, and you thank him for it. But wait do you really want this? Do you really want him to have this hanging over you? No, you need to come back. You need to get yourself back on track. You need to wean yourself off of it. It will be hard and you'll want to give in but you shouldn't. You persevere. And...and.._.He smelt it. It hangs in the air as the remnants of it dry around his mouth. He dropped the hold he had on the brunette and he hears her limp body thud to the forest floor. His feet are moving him and he breaks off into a vampire run. His feet deciding where he goes and not his mind. The scent of it, leading him to another victim, another kill.

He sees it, a flash of blonde hair and he's off faster in that direction; ready to sink his teeth into her flesh. He targets his prey and jumps to attack her, his eyes red, and fangs contracted, ready to bite, ready to drain another poor girl dry. Another girl with a family, a family who will be looking for her. So many lives, he's taken so many lives. As he tilts her head to the side, to allow himself better access to her neck, a sound catches his attention. Footsteps. And then her scent wanders and climbs up into his nostrils. It can't be? It's impossible. How did she find him? He's been through so many different towns, states. He's killed so many people; his scent probably still lingers on their bodies. How could she have found him? Once he had separated from Klaus, he had made sure to cover his tracks. In case Klaus ever tried to find him again. How did she find him? She emerged from the trees, her face more beautiful than ever, her blonde hair shining in the rays of sun.

"Stefan?"

His eyes looked up from the girl's neck and met hers. His mouth ajar and fangs showing, he didn't look himself. She rushed over to him.

"Stefan." She said again. Her voice was calm.

His eyes were still locked with hers as he moved his mouth closer to the girl's neck and sunk his teeth in, and began to drink from her.

"Stefan, stop." Her voice calm and firm. "Stop."

She placed both hands on his arms and tried pushing him away.

"Stefan, stop! This isn't you!"

She broke him away and the girl's limp body, which fell to the leafy ground. Another body down. Check.

"This isn't you, this isn't you." She murmured.

She rubbed his face as his erratic breathing slowed and his eyes returned to normal, along with his fangs receding. He stared at her, his breathing still a little heavy.

"Breathe, one, two, three, breathe."

He obeyed and his breathing finally returned to normal.

"Caroline?"

She nodded.

"Wh-how?"

"I followed you a while back. Just after you had split with Klaus. I waited for the right time to intervene." She shrugged. "Looks like I found it."

He shook his head as he pushed her away from him. "Get away from me! Caroline I could hurt you."

She swiftly moved closer to him again. "No, you can't. Stefan, you can't hurt me, you won't."

In one hastily blur Stefan had pushed her against a tree with great force. His hands dug into her arms, his eyes red and fangs making themselves known.

"I can hurt you." He growled as he pressed his body against hers, and increased the grip on her arms. "And I will hurt you." His voice was low.

He moved his head to the side and in a blur he connected his mouth with her neck. She didn't scream. She pushed him back and off of her. Now she was angry. Caroline ran at him and pinned him to the ground, her eyes red and her fangs showing.

"Stop it." She growled.

Stefan growled and pushed himself up off the ground and had her against the forest floor.

"No." He sneered.

Caroline used her strength and rolled them so that she was on top.

"Fine, you leave me no choice." She leaned down and sunk her teeth into his neck.

Stefan let out an agonized groan, before his breathing increased. Caroline removed her mouth from his neck and wiped the remnants of blood. Her eyes turned normal and her fangs disappeared.

"Say that you'll come with me." She asked, still straddling his chest. "Come back with me. Please, Stefan I need you to come back."

His breathing had subdued. He looked into her eyes and realized how foolish he was for leaving with Klaus. How dumb of him to not think of his friend, his best friend, Caroline.

He nodded. "Okay."

"Really?"

Stefan nodded again.

"Okay, great."

She got off of him and helped him up.

"We can go back to Mystic Falls? Everyone's gone for awhile. They all had to get away."

He nodded. "Alright, we can go home."

Caroline nodded and with that they took off in a sprint. They ran for what seemed like days, weeks until they finally saw the boarding house come into view. They stopped briefly to catch their breath. Caroline looked up the driveway before glancing at Stefan. She had to lock him up, she had to help him.

"Caroline, let's go."

She nodded. "You go ahead, I-I'll meet you inside."

Stefan took a step closer to her, and placed his hand on her arm, his eyebrows knitted together. "Are you sure?"

Caroline nodded. "Yeah, yeah, go ahead."

He slowly nodded and sprinted up the driveway. Now alone Caroline let out a tired sigh. I need to help him. I'll have to lock him up in the cellar down in the basement. I need to do this for him, after everything that he's done for me. I owe it to him. She took off up the driveway and entered the boarding house.

"Stefan?" She called as she turned the corner.

"Hmm?"

She saw him sitting on the couch. "Can you come with me? I need to show you something."

He nodded and rose from the couch. "Yeah sure. What is it?"

She reached for his hand and led him towards the stairs that led to the basement.

"Why are we going down here?"

"Trust me won't you?"

He nodded. She turned the corner with Stefan following.

"What is it you wanted to show me?"

"Stefan-" She brought him in front of her. "I'm so sorry."

"For what? Care what are you-"

She cut him off by pushing him backward and slamming the cellar door closed.

"For this. I'm sorry Stefan." She turned the lock. "But you need this. You'll thank me later."

She gave him a tight smile before turning and walking back up the stairs. Not looking back, not even once.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N**_: _So, I originally wanted this story to be titled I Need You To Come Back – hence at the top of the last chapter it read I Need You To Come Back – That's my fault, I forgot to get rid of it! : ) Anyway, thank you all for reading my story, or even if you're just starting to read it now, thanks! _

...{love is patient, love is kind}...

He supposes that he deserves this. After all, he has killed so many innocent people. And Caroline knows that. So, she's only doing this to help him. That's all she wants to do is help him. And yet as he sits there, on the dirt ground, arms resting on his raised knees and head hanging low, as sweat sparkled on his skin, he can't help but think that he is a monster. A monster, who must be stopped. And all those people, all those people that he killed...he feels pain. And it hurts him, knowing what he's done. He wishes it would be easier. But he doesn't want to survive, not after what he's done, it has to end. He just wants it to be over.

"Stefan?"

He weakly raises his head and sees Caroline at the door.

"Stefan?" Her head is cocked to the side, and a worried expression graces her features. "Stefan?"

Her voice is sounding distant and it's echoing, his name is echoing in his head. The room is spinning. Why is the room spinning? His head is pounding. Thump, thump-thump, thump, thump-thump. His breathing is heavy. Stefan? Stefan? Stefan? Everything went black.

_He was back in 1864, walking down one of the high ceiling hallways with dark wooden walls. Family photos decorated the walls, photos of his mother and father, photos of Damon as an infant and of himself as an infant. He wandered aimlessly, his mind a cloudy blur. His feet carried him past Katherine's room, hushed voices caught his attention. He stopped and brought his ear closer to the door so he was able to hear._

_"...Please don't tell my brother."_

_"Is it wrong for me to love you both?"_

_He couldn't take it. He pulled his ear away from the wooden door, turned and continued walking down the hallway._

_"Stefan."_

_He turned at her voice. "Caroline?"_

_"She's playing with the both of you. Don't let her fool you. You're better than that."_

_He nodded. "I will keep that in mind."_

_He turned and continued his pace down the hall._

_"You're mad at me." She called after him. "I get that, but please. I'm doing this to help you, I'm only thinking ahead and you need this. You need to be yourself again. Klaus turned you into something that you're not. I'm trying to make you realize that."_

_He faced her and nodded. "I know."_

The sound of the heavy steel door opening made him look up again.

"I brought this for you."

She handed him a glass of blood. He looked at her questioning.

"It's bunny blood."

He nodded and raised the glass in thanks. He brought it to his lips and chugged it, trying to hold back the coughs emerging from his throat. She placed her hand on his back and rubbed soothingly.

"Slowly, drink it slowly."

He pulled the glass away as he started to cough it back up.

"Stefan?" Her voice sounding worried.

He wiped his mouth and slammed his hand onto the ground, causing Caroline to creep away from him. He looked at her, that predator look in his eyes. And in a blur he had her pinned against the cellar wall, his body pressed against hers. His fangs out and eyes red, his breathing heavy as he stared at her neck before looking into her eyes.

"Stefan, stop. Stefan you have to listen to me."

A low growl from deep in his throat escaped his mouth, silencing her.

"Stefan, breathe, breathe!"

He moved his mouth to her neck and inhaled, she smelt of vanilla and lavender. He pulled away, his eyes had returned to normal as he stared at her face. He studied her. Stefan backed away from her, releasing his grip on her arms.

"I'm so sorry Caroline."

She hesitantly moved toward him. "It's alright."

He shook his head. "No, it's not. I could have hurt you. I did hurt you before and I could have easily done it again." He sighed. "I-I can't control it Caroline. It's out of my hands. It's too strong for me to control, it's too hard."

"Stefan, look at me. Stefan-"

"I don't want to hurt you." He said dejectedly.

"You won't. As long as you control it, as long as you fight it, you won't hurt me." She shook her head. "You won't."

He looked at her, his sweaty face glistening. "The fact that I could...The fact that it's possible for me to, means that I need to stay locked up in here. I need to stay in here until I know that I can't and that I won't hurt you. Do you understand?"

She nodded. "I do."

She ruffled her hand through his hair before standing up and exiting the cellar, closing the door behind her.

"Take care of yourself okay?"

She smiled softly and gave a small wave goodbye. Then she turned and walked away. He heard her footsteps go up the stairs and the basement door opened and then soon closed. Now he was completely alone.

_**A/N**_: _Reviews make me smile and feel happy!_


	3. Chapter 3

...{love is louder}...

She had listened to him. She kept him down in the cellar for awhile, going down frequently to give him bunny blood. Which he grew to like and not gag on it. He was getting better, she could tell. He was getting safer to be around, at least she felt safer to be around him. And that was good, it's what she wanted, it's what they both wanted.

...{love is in the air}...

"Stefan? I brought you some bunny!"

Caroline walked down the basement stairs and turned the corner, making her way towards the cellar.

"Stefan?"

She poked her head to look through the slot window. She saw him, lying on the ground in a daze.

"Stefan? I brought you some blood."

She opened the door and walked over to him. She crouched down and placed a hand on his cheek. He was burning up.

"Elena...? Where's Elena?"

He had caught her off guard. What was she supposed to say? The truth, Caroline, say the truth.

She breathed in deeply, before exhaling. "Stefan, she's safe. Elena is with Damon. He's taking good care of her."

"When will she come back? I need to see her. I need to see my girlfriend."

Caroline sighed and tried to hold back the tears that stung her eyes.

"Um, Stefan. I don't think she will come back. Or at least anytime soon." She exhaled. "I probably shouldn't be the one telling you this but..." She sighed again. "Elena kissed Damon, and she thought you were off with Klaus and now they're...sort of together."

He shot up then, alert and angry. He stared at her, the predator look flaming into his eyes. He charged at her, slamming her against the wall.

"You're lying." He growled.

She shook her head. "Stefan...you're hurting me."

"You're lying!" He yelled.

"I'm not! I'm sorry that you had to find out like this, but I'm not lying." She said calmly.

"Stop lying Katherine!"

Her brows furrowed then. "Katherine? I'm not Katherine. It's Caroline. Stefan, it's me, Caroline."

He dropped her, turned his back and started to pace, one hand rubbing his chin while the other rested on his hip.

"You're a liar. For once in your life, would you please tell me the truth? Don't joke about this." He shook his head. "Not about her."

Caroline hesitantly stepped towards him and lifted her hand to place it on his cheek, only to have Stefan back away from her touch. She took a step back, before taking a step towards him again.

"Stefan-" She walked over to him and slowly placed her hand on his cheek. "It's Caroline, and I'm not lying to you. I promise you that, I would never lie to you." She shook her head. "Not about this, not about them. I know how concerned you were about having this happen and I'm truly sorry that it did. But you can't just sit and sulk over it. You need to prepare yourself for what is next, for when you see them next. Okay?"

He swallowed the lump forming in his throat. Stefan cast his gaze downward, to the dirt floor. "Please," He whispered, almost inaudible, while he closed his eyes. "Just leave me alone."

Something inside Caroline collapsed. Her heart started to crack, she could feel it breaking. She could feel it breaking into tiny pieces, tiny shards of glass. It was breaking for him. She stared as he turned his back and started walking away from her. Taking a few steps back and nodding firmly, Caroline turned and left the room. She left him alone with his broken heart, which was lying shattered on the dirty floor.

...{love is heartbreaking}...

Stefan had successfully not had human blood three weeks now. He was finally returning to himself once again! Caroline smiled to herself as she walked down the basement stairs and opened the cellar door, walking in.

"Stefan?"

She looked around, he wasn't there. Where was he?

"Stefan?" She called again.

Quietly he crept towards her, ready to pounce.

"Caroline!"

She let out a startled gasp as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Don't do that! You scared me!" She said while laughing lightly.

Stefan rested his chin in the crook of her shoulder. "I'm sorry." He murmured.

She pulled away from his grasp and turned to look at him.

"I'm letting you out! I just need to go and get a few things, but promise me that you won't feel the urge to drink human blood?"

He nodded. "I won't drink it."

"Okay, good. I'll be back soon."

She walked over to him and kissed his cheek before turning and leaving. Stefan followed shortly after she had exited the room. He closed the door behind him, happy that he was free! Happy that he was finally out, and himself again. He waited till he heard the front door close, signaling that Caroline had left. Stefan walked into the kitchen in search for Caroline's cell phone, knowing that she probably would have forgotten it. A smirk came across his lips once he found it. He dialed the familiar number and waited for someone to answer.

"Hello? Caroline? Is everything okay?"

He froze, mind going blank. He couldn't form words; his throat grew dry and constricted. He licked his lips.

"Hello? Caroline?"

He sighed deeply.

"Stefan..."

He closed his eyes at her mentioning his name. Stop it, you can't love her anymore, you don't love her anymore. She cheated, she cheated on you. She's with Damon. You have to let her go, you have to move on.

"Stefan, I'm so sorry. I need to explain everything to you. Please just let me expl-"

He hung up, disconnecting the call, not caring what she had to say. Running a hand over his face before brushing it through his hair, he walked over to the liquor cabinet opened it and got the bottle of scotch out. He walked over to the couch and fell down on the cushions and began to drink his sorrows away till he was numb.

_**A/N**_: _So what did you all think? Oh and if you have ideas, you can PM me and I'll consider them!_


	4. Chapter 4

...{love is a battlefield}...

After leaving the boarding house for a few hours, Caroline was glad to be walking up the front steps. It had been a very long few hours and she was happy that she could just relax. She entered through the boarding house door, the scent of alcohol entering her nose. She sighed heavily. _Here we go._

"Hello? Stefan?"

She walked further into the living room. She glanced at the couch and saw Stefan sitting on it, his eyes glassy and a bottle of scotch in his hand. Caroline walked over to him and sat on the couch beside him, a comfortable silence forming.

"I-I don't, I don't underrsstand you." Stefan slurred.

Caroline glanced at him, her eye brows furrowed. "I'm sorry?"

"I don't get you, or, or th-the female gender." He stuttered. "A-and I don't get _her_. And I hate that she makes me feel like this. I-I hate that she turned me into this."

Caroline gave him a sympathetic look. She reached for his hand and intertwined her fingers with his.

"Stefan," She said softly, comfortingly. "I don't know why Elena did this to you, and I don't know why she didn't tell you. But I do know that she never wanted to hurt you." She squeezed his hand. "She loved you, and she was scared and confused. She was in a state of weakness and went off with Damon to recuperate..." Caroline sighed. "I know that you're hurting and I know that you're confused and you hate her for what she did to you. But please, don't do this. Don't drown yourself in alcohol. Your strong, you're stronger than this. I know you, and I know that you can get over some girl who broke your heart."

He took another swig of the golden liquor and looked at her through glazed eyes.

"Elena was never just some girl, Caroline. She was..._Elena_."

Caroline tried to ignore the pang of hurt the struck through her.

She squeezed his hand."I know that, and I know how much she meant to you. But Stefan you can't just sit around and sulk over her, she's moved on. It's time for you to move on as well."

He faced forward, his face expressionless as he brought the bottle of scotch to his lips and took another long swig from it. He finished it off and swallowed loudly, wiping his mouth.

He cleared his throat. "Thanks for the advice."

His voice sounded indifferent, nonchalant. He rose from the couch, the cushions readjusting to the loss of weight. He placed the empty scotch bottle down heavily on the table and walked out of the room, his footsteps echoing through the quiet house. 

_**A/N**_: _Review!_


	5. Chapter 5

...{love is blind, it knows no boundaries}...

"Get off me!" Caroline screamed as she thrashed around in her bed, a layer of glistening sweat formed on her body.

She trashed around and resisted more once she felt hands on her.

"Get off!"

"Caroline! Caroline! Open your eyes. Open your eyes. Look at me, look at me. Caroline!"

Her eyes flew open as she looked at Stefan, startled. Her breathing was heavy as her chest heaved, trying to bring air into her lungs.

She let out a heavy, shaky breath. "Stefan?"

He nodded, as he cupped her face in his hands and caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"It's okay, you're okay now. I have you, I have you." He said as he pulled her close to him and slowly rocked her.

Her breathing was still shaky and Stefan could tell she was still startled as she clutched to his body.

"Shh, shh, it's okay Caroline, your safe now. Breathe, just breathe."

Caroline shook in fear as she let out a haggard sigh. Stefan rubbed circles on her back in a comforting manner.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He murmured.

She shook her head, her blonde locks brushing against his bare shoulder.

"Not really." Her voice was muffled against his shoulder.

He nodded. "Okay." He whispered softly.

He didn't know how long he held her in his arms, perhaps however long Caroline needed. She finally pulled away from him, her breathing had gone back to normal, still a little shaky at some points, but she had calmed. She stared at her hands before looking up, their eyes met and she gave him a small smile.

"Thank you." Her voice was hushed, a soft whisper.

He nodded and reached out his hand to rest on hers. He took her hand in his and smiled before his facial features turned serious.

"Care, I will always help you, I will always be here for you. Okay?"

She nodded. "Thank you."

Before he could even comprehend what she was doing, her face was inches from his, her lips brushed against the skin of his cheek and she gave him a soft kiss. They pulled apart and Caroline gave him a small smile, Stefan returned it and placed his hand on hers. He glanced at her soft lips before looking back into her eyes. She leaned forward and so did Stefan, their lips met in a hungry, desperate, and needy kiss. Caroline moved back and rested her head down on the pillows, Stefan moving with her and never breaking the kiss. Her hands moved to his neck and played with his hair, his hands were resting on the middle of her abdomen. Stefan deepened the kiss, causing a moan to erupt from Caroline. He moved his kissing to her neck and gave her sweet kisses. Caroline's hands moved over his broad shoulders and roamed down his back. She let out a sigh. Stefan pulled away from her and smiled down at her, caressing his thumb along her cheek. She smiled back up at him. Stefan started kissing her jaw, moving down her neck.

"Stefan." She said lightly. "We should stop. This isn't right, you're angry about Elena."

She tried pushing him away, but he didn't budge. He just continued on kissing her.

"Stefan...please, I don't want you to do something you'll regret."

He pulled away at that and stared down at her.

"I would never regret you, Caroline. I want this. I realize now that I had been wrong all along. I should have never been with Elena. It was you, it was you all along. I was just too blinded by the resemblance of Katherine and my past, that I didn't see it. But now I do. It's you, it always has."

He caressed her cheek as a smile graced his lips. She smiled up at him, a mix of love and lust in her eyes. Caroline started kissing his strong jaw line, and moved her lips along his jaw. In a swift movement, Stefan pulled away from her and threw himself against the wall. Caroline sat up, confused. Stefan looked at her, his breathing heavy.

"Maybe," He paused to steady his heaving breaths. "W–we should–"

"Take it slow?" Caroline interjected.

He nodded. "That and maybe we should...date."

Caroline gave him a meaningful smile with a quirked eyebrow.

He shrugged and motioned his hand to her. "You know, like I ask you out or you ask me out and we go out to dinner, or to the movies or the beach, or something. What do you think?"

She gave him a perplexed look.

"You don't like the idea, do you?" He said doubtfully.

She rose onto her knees and shook her head. "N–no, no. Stefan, I love that idea." She smiled at him. "I do." She said more assuring.

He nodded as his smile grew. "Great! I want it to m–make–"

"Us as normal as possible?" Caroline finished for him.

He looked at her, "Yeah."

She nodded and smiled at him. "That's good, because that's what we need right now. Normalcy, we need to feel normal."

He smiled at her. "I want to get to know you Caroline."

She got up and slowly walked over to him. "You do know me Stefan."

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist.

He shook his head. "I want to get to know you, the real you."

She smiled. "Oh, the insecure, neurotic, control freak on crack side?" She teased.

Stefan chuckled. "Yeah, that side."

She moved her face closer to his, their noses brushing against each other, with their lips almost touching.

"Then, I want to know your serious vampire side, with your serious vampire look." Caroline murmured as she stared into his intense green eyes, her lips brushing against his.

"Oh you do, do you?" Stefan whispered back as he pulled her body closer to him.

"Yeah," Caroline whispered, "I do."

She pressed her lips to his in a chaste kiss, pouring every ounce of love into it as their lips moved together. She pulled away with a cheeky smile on her lips. She walked backwards towards the bed and sat down. She gasped as she covered herself with the bed sheets.

"Mr. Salvatore! It is improper and completely inappropriate to be in a lady's room at this hour of the night! I think you should leave." the cheeky smile never leaving her lips.

She walked over to Stefan grabbed his hand and led him towards the door. He turned and faced her, an attentive look in his eyes as he looked down at her.

"I look into your eyes and I see something very special, kindness, warmth, carefulness and selflessness. I look at you and I see the woman that I want to spend the rest of my life with. Caroline, when I'm around you," He sighed and looked deeper into her eyes. "I completely forget what we are." He smiled down at her as he moved his face closer to hers. "You're my angel, and I will always look after you. Good night Caroline, sweet dreams."

She lost her breath, what he had just said was so...so...sweet and romantic. She watched as he turned to leave, in one quick movement she had her hand on his arm, causing him to turn back to her. She pressed her lips to his in a quick kiss, pulling away once she realized what she had done, a soft smile on her lips.

"Good night, Stefan." 

_**A/N**_: _Hola los amigos! What did you all think? Please review! Shanks!_


	6. Chapter 6

...{love is passionate}...

"So Stefan, with this dating thing," She puffed out air. "Are we exclusive...or non-exclusive?"

His eyebrows knitted together, his mouth slightly ajar. She had caught him off guard.

_See Caroline, this is why you should keep your mouth shut sometimes._

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Um, well Caroline, I don't necessarily kn–"

"I only ask because Tyler asked if I wanted to go to the Grill and hangout." She interrupted. "And I didn't know how to answer him, because I needed to know what–what we are, what are relationship is."

Stefan looked up at her. "Well Caroline, it's not up to me whether or not you hang out with Tyler. You can, I won't not allow you to."

She nodded. "Okay, so I'll let him know that I can hang–"

"Go on a date with him." Stefan finished.

Caroline looked at him, shocked. "Well, it's not a date."

"Are you sure he knows that?"

She played with her hands. "I–I–I don't know."

...{love is jealous}...

"Tyler, stop it!" Caroline laughed as Tyler tickled her.

"No, say you surrender!" Tyler grinned as he picked Caroline up and put her over his right shoulder, still attacking her with tickles.

"Never!" Caroline laughed. "J–just please, s–stop, I can't breathe." She giggled. "I can't breathe!"

Tyler laughed as he spun her around.

"Tyler!" Caroline shrieked.

Suddenly the atmosphere in the room changed as they heard someone clear their throat behind them. Caroline's head shot in the direction of the doorway and saw Stefan standing there, a stern look on his face, jaw clenched and his body stiff. He glared at Tyler, his eyes never leaving him as Tyler placed Caroline down once he noticed she had stopped laughing and realized why. Caroline moved her hair out of her face and gave Stefan a little smile.

"Stefan!" Caroline's smile grew as she walked towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I missed you." She whispered into his neck.

"I missed you too." Stefan said, keeping his eyes on Tyler as he held back a growl from escaping.

Tyler held his gaze, a slight stare down happened between the two men before Tyler broke it and looked down.

He looked up at Caroline. "I better go."

She smiled at him and nodded. "Okay, I'll see you later."

Tyler looked back at her as he started walking out. "Bye, Caroline."

"Bye Tyler." She called after him.

Stefan was still stiff. It wasn't until they heard Tyler's car speed away when she felt Stefan relax.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked, worried.

"You've been spending a lot of time with Tyler lately, what's that about?"

Caroline sighed. "We're friends Stefan. And what's wrong with you?"

Stefan looked at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Back there, with Tyler. You were uncomfortable, I could tell, and you looked like you wanted to kill him."

"Well, of course I was uncomfortable; his hands were all over you." Stefan said, his tone getting protective.

"So?"

"So? So nothing, he shouldn't be doing that–"

"We're just friends, Stefan." Caroline interjected. "We were just playing around." She said defensively.

"Care–"

She sighed in frustration and turned away from him, starting to pace.

"God, why are you acting like this?" Her brow furrowed in anger.

"Because I don't like him," Stefan yelled. "I don't trust him. I don't trust him around you."

"Well, I do trust him Stefan. And whether you like him or not, I'm still going to spend time with him." She sighed. "It's like you're jealous or something."

Stefan looked away, his jaw clenched.

Caroline's jaw dropped as her eyes grew big. "Are you?"

Stefan looked at her. "No, I just don't want you getting too close with him. He could hurt you Caroline." His voice was softening.

She took a step towards him and grabbed one of his hands, squeezing it. "But he won't." She looked into his light green eyes. "I need you to trust me, okay? Trust me when I say he won't hurt me, because I know him and I trust him. He will not hurt me. You have nothing to worry about."

Stefan looked down at her and nodded. "Okay."

Caroline placed one hand on his chest while the other played with his hair. "Good." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Come on, let's go hunt. I'm starving."

_**A/N**_: _This totally has nothing to do with The Vampire Diaries, or my story. But I started watching True Blood, and I must say it's a pretty *Swedish accent* shveet show! I __**love**__ Eric and Sookie!_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Quick A/N**_: _This chapter is rated M for so violence, and…well, uh, you'll see!_

...{love is safe, comforting}...

Caroline sat at the Grill and waited for Tyler to show up. She smiled at the bartender–who she compelled to give her rounds of scotch–Bringing the glass to her lips and taking a small sip of the golden liquid, she placed it down on the counter when she heard her phone ring. She took it out of her purse and smiled at the screen.

"Hey!"

_"Hey, what are you up to tonight?"_

"I'm at the Grill waiting for Tyler to show up."

She could feel him grow jealous.

_"Oh."_

She sighed. "Stefan, trust me alright."

_"Alright,"_ He said, sounding indifferent.

"How about this, after I hang out with Tyler, I'll go to your house and we can...have some fun?" She said suggestively.

Stefan grinned through the phone. _"Oh, I'd like that. Damon is still gone with Elena, so we can have the house to ourselves."  
><em>  
>"Perfect." Caroline purred.<p>

She looked up towards the door and noticed Tyler enter; she waved at him before continuing talking to Stefan.

"I have to go, Tyler's here."

_"Okay, I'll see you tonight."  
><em>  
>She grinned. "Bye, Stefan."<p>

_"Bye, Caroline."_

She disconnected the call and turned to Tyler who was just walking up to where she was sitting.

"Hey Tyler." She smiled at him.

"Hey you!" Tyler grinned down at her before enveloping her in a hug.

He released her and sat down next to her, a smile never leaving his face.

"Want a drink?"

He nodded, "Yeah, sure."

Caroline cleared her throat, "Hey, David, another." She motioned to her glass and the bartender got started on making one for Tyler.

...

She didn't know how much they drank, but it was enough to make her a little tipsy. Tyler on the other hand was completely wasted.

"Excusse me for a moment, I have to use the restroom."

Tyler nodded. She smiled at him as she slid off her stool and walked toward the bathroom. She waited a little bit before she took her phone out of her purse and dialed Stefan's number.

_"Caroline? Is everything okay?"_

"Hellooo Sstefan S-Salvatore." She stuttered.

_"Are you drunk?"_

Caroline giggled. "Noo."

Stefan sighed. _"Care, be careful. I don't want him hurting you."_

"He won't." She smiled at a woman who entered. "I've got to go, he's going to think I'm puking."

_"Caroli-"_

She hung up and left, making her way towards Tyler. She noticed him leaning over the counter, and whispered something to the bartender as he handed him her glass, which didn't need to be refilled, it was still half full. She walked over to him and took her seat, noticing his suspicious movements.

"Here you go." David said as he handed her back–this time a full glass of–her drink.

"Uh, th–thankss."

She looked at it skeptically before taking a sip.

"Caroline, w–want to get out of h–herre?" Tyler slurred.

She nodded. "Okay!"

She brought her glass to her lips and gulped down the remnants of her glass. She smiled at Tyler and then reached into her purse for her wallet, stopping when she felt Tyler's hand on hers.

"It's okay, I've got it."

"Arre you ssurre?"

He nodded and paid the guy before turning and leaving, with Caroline following him.

"Where do you want to go?" She asked, her head starting to feel a bit dizzy.

"The woods?"

Caroline looked at him with a perplexed look. "Uh, okay."

They made their way to the woods and when they got there, Caroline didn't feel herself. She'd been drunk before, but this time felt different, _she_ felt different. She didn't know how it happened so fast, one moment she was laughing at something Tyler had said and the next, he was kissing her.

"Stop!" She said firmly. "Tyler, stop!"

He continued on kissing her. He roughly pushed her against a tree, and violently ran his hands over her body, leaving bruises as he went. She tried to fight him off, she _should_ be stronger than him, and she _should_ be able to get him off of her. But she couldn't. She was too weak. He moved his mouth along her jaw and then down to her neck as he reached for the top of her jeans. His fingers fumbled as he tried to unbutton them, but was unsuccessful. She struggled, she pushed, she fought to get out of his grasp but she couldn't.

He roughly ran a hand up her side. "Looks like it worked." His voice, low and husk growled out. He laughed, mockingly. "Looks like you shouldn't have drunk that last glass of scotch."

What was that supposed to mean? Then it dawned on her. He had put something in her drink, that disgusting excuse for a man, someone she had called her friend, someone she had told Stefan would _never_ hurt her. He had planned this. How could she have been so idiotic? _Fight. Fight, Caroline. You need to fight._

"Help!" She screamed. "Someone please help me! Please! Help! Help me!"

He covered her mouth. "Shut up." He hissed.

"Why are you doing this? Tyler? I thought you were my friend. Why are you doing this to me?" Caroline begged. "Stop, please stop!"

He nipped, and bruised, and left his mark. He hurt her, he scarred her. She was scared, so scared.

"I was never your friend Caroline." He gruffly said.

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Help!" She croaked. "Help me!"

The tears fell as he began to unbutton her jeans. No one was there to save her. She was alone. She closed her eyes as she felt a cool breeze, an inhuman, a vampiric speed could only cause it. She heard a low growl. She quickly opened her eyes and saw a blur and she was released from Tyler's grasp. She crumbled to the ground as sobs erupted from her body; tears blurred her eyes as she looked at the scene in front of her. Tyler was thrown to the ground, and then the blur had pushed Tyler rough against a tree, and had its hands around his neck. She blinked and they came into focus. _Stefan_. It was Stefan who had his hands around Tyler's throat. A low, angry, threatening growl came from deep within his throat, as his grip around Tyler's throat intensified. He was here to save her. He saved her.

"Don't you even think of laying a hand on her," He snarled.

Tyler chuckled and threw his fist forward, an action to punch Stefan, but Stefan was swift and he quickly dodged it. Tyler wasn't going to give up that easily, and he fought. The two became a quick blur as Stefan fought back, defending himself and Caroline, protecting her. They came to a halt and Stefan had his hands around Tyler's neck, a low growl escaping him again. It was then when she heard the sound, the sound that rings through her ears at night when she closes her eyes. The sound that haunts her in her dreams, the sound of fist–connecting–with–skull, the sound of bones breaking, the sound of Tyler's neck turning as Stefan knocked him out. His body fell to the ground. Stefan's breath was heavy as he looked down at Tyler, his cheek swollen, nose bloody and darkness under his left eye. He closed his eyes briefly; _he didn't look as bad as Caroline's going to look. Brace yourself_. He turned and saw her, his heart broke. She was on the ground, knees pulled up to her chest, head resting on her knees as she sobbed. She was broken. He cautiously walked over to her and kneeled in front of her.

"Caroline." He said softly, as he reached out and placed his hand on her knee.

She flinched at his touch.

He pulled his hand away. "Caroline."

She shook her head as her sobs grew louder.

"Did he hurt you?"

She looked up at him then, glassy, tear filled blue eyes meeting light green ones. That was when she broke, when she saw the safeness in his eyes, in his face, in him. She fell forward, her face resting on his chest as the tears fell. She wrapped her arms around Stefan and he held her. Her grip tightened as she cried harder. Stefan's eyes filled with tears, he held her tighter as he blinked back his own tears. He closed his eyes as he rocked her back and forth, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Shh, shh, Caroline, it's okay. You're safe now, you're safe."

"I'm sorry. I'm s–so s–sorry." She cried. "I'm s–so sorry Stefan."

He hugged her tightly. "It's okay, it's okay. It's not your fault. It's not your fault."

She cried harder into his chest at his words.

"Come on, I'll bring you home."

Stefan slowly rose to his feet, with Caroline clutched to him. He wrapped his arms around her and slightly pulled her away from him, so he was able to look down at her.

"Care, come on. I'll take–"

She shook her head. "No." She croaked. "I don't want to go home, I–I can't, I c–ca–" She couldn't finish as new sobs racked her body.

Stefan pulled her close again and held her in a warm embrace. "Okay, okay. I'll take you to the boarding house."

She nodded against his chest. "Thank you." She murmured.

Stefan picked her up, one arm under her knees while the other was around her back. He knew she didn't want to be here any longer, so with his vampire speed he took off towards the boarding house. He opened the door with his foot and closed it the same way. He swiftly carried her upstairs to his bedroom. He carefully placed her on the bed, turning to let her sleep when he stopped. She had reached out her hand and clutched his, in a death grip.

"No." She said frightened. "Don't leave me."

He looked down at her and simply nodded. "Okay," His voice a soft whisper.

He climbed into his bed and Caroline instinctively cuddled into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and held her to him. She had calmed down now and was just in a state of silence, shock. Silence filled the room, and Stefan's eyelids began to feel heavy and droop closed. He sighed heavily.

"I should have listened to you."

He rubbed his hand along her back. "It's okay that you didn't."

He felt her move and she was now looking up at him, her chin resting on his chest.

"It's not okay. You were being my friend, you were trying to help me and protect me and I just blew you off. I thought that I knew better and I thought I knew Tyler–obviously not–but I was wrong. Tonight could have ended very differently if you hadn't saved me. So thank you."

He looked deeply into her eyes and nodded. "I promised you I wouldn't let anything happen to you." He simply said.

"I know you did, and thank you."

He kissed her forehead. "Get some sleep Caroline."

She nodded and lay her head back down on his chest. Stefan brought her closer to him, and she tightened her hold on him, never wanting to let go. She enveloped herself, loving the feeling of being in his arms and the safeness that it made her feel.

He smoothed her hair, and kissed the side of her head. "Just get some sleep, Care."

_**A/N**_: _So, feedback is greatly appreciated!_


	8. Chapter 8

...{love is all you need}...

Stefan walked up the front steps of the Lockwood house. He knocked on the door and politely waited, hands shoved into his jeans pockets. The door opened and exposed Carol Lockwood. She smiled at him.

"Stefan, what are you doing here?"

"Good morning Mrs. Lockwood, is Tyler here?"

She glanced inside and then looked back at Stefan. "Um, yes, he–he's in his room. Come in, please."

She stepped aside and opened the door wider, allowing Stefan to come in.

"Thank you." He smiled.

"You can go upstairs. His room is on the left. He should be awake by now."

"Thank you Mrs. Lockwood."

Stefan quickly walked up the stairs and found Tyler's room. He knocked once before slowly opening it.

"Mom go away I'm–Stefan?"

"Hello, Tyler."

He sat up in his bed and stood.

"What, uh, what are you doing here?" His gaze cast to the ground.

Stefan glared at him, jaw clenched, eyes cold and angry. "I think you know exactly what I'm doing here." He said, leaning his head closer to Tyler.

Tyler's guilty eyes and remorseful face told Stefan he knew what this was about.

"If you're here because of Caroline, I'm sor–"

"I'm definitely here because of Caroline." Stefan said sternly. "And I'm not the one you should be apologizing too." His voice was firm.

He took a step toward Tyler and he backed away, scared.

Stefan chuckled. "Are you scared Tyler?" His voice was mocking.

Tyler slowly nodded.

"Really? Because last night you were Tyler Lockwood, the tough guy, who tried to take advantage of Caroline. Why did you do it? Did you think it would make you seem like a bad ass? Or were you just too drunk to realize what you were doing? Were you too drunk to realize how afraid Caroline was? Or did you just ignore her cries for you to stop? Did you just pretend that she liked it, that she wanted you? When really she was crying, _begging_ for you to stop. But you just ignored her. You didn't care how what you did would make her feel, how much self worthless and self hatred you caused her to feel? No. Not as long as you got that one lay, right Tyler?" He stopped. His tone of voice was threatening. "Right, Tyler!" He yelled.

"Stop!"

Stefan charged at him then, shoving him against the wall and holding the fabric of Tyler's shirt.

"You were never looking for friendship with her, were you? You heard what she was like, the things people said about her. And you just thought she would let you have her." Stefan said angry. "She trusted you!" He yelled. "She wanted to be your friend but you didn't want the relationship to go that way. No, you had other plans, and if I hadn't shown up and saved her then you would have taken advantage of her. I've never trusted you, and I told her not to either, but she wanted to give you a chance. So I let her, and I had known I shouldn't have, because now her trust in you and her trust in men are faltered. All because of one disgusting excuse of a man tried to attack her." He grabbed Tyler's shoulders and slammed him against the wall again as his hands moved to Tyler's throat. "Stay away from Caroline, I don't want you anywhere near her, and I don't want to see you talking to her or about her. Do I make myself clear?" He said sternly. "If I do see you talking to or near Caroline I will have to do something that I will regret, and I don't want to have to hurt you, but if it comes down to Caroline, I will do anything to protect her. Do you understand?"

Tyler tried to nod but was restricted from Stefan's hands being around his neck. "Understood." He choked out.

Stefan nodded and removed his hands from his neck, an accomplished smile on his lips. "Good, I'm glad we had this conversation. See you at school tomorrow Tyler." He simply said.

He turned and left the room, leaving Tyler gasping for breath.

_**A/N**_: _What did you think of protective–Stefan? Personally, I love him!_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N**_: _This is the last chapter! Thank you to everyone who read this story! You're reviews mean a lot to me, thank you so much!_

He opened the Forbes' front door and walked in. "Caroline?" He called.

"In here!"

He made his way over to the kitchen and saw her pouring herself some coffee.

"Hey," She smiled.

"Hey," He grinned.

He walked over to her and accepted the mug of coffee that she handed him. He placed his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him.

"How are you?" He asked, looking down at her.

She looked into her coffee mug before meeting his eyes. "Not so good." She said honestly.

He nodded. "It's understandable. I'm here to help you, if you need me."

She smiled up at him. "I know and I love you for that." She moved her face closer to his and kissed his cheek. She slowly pulled away. "Thank you." She whispered.

He looked down into her eyes. And something passed between them, no need for words, just a simple understanding...protection...a love for each other. Caroline looked away, took a step back and cleared her throat.

"Where did you run off to?" She asked bringing her mug of coffee to her lips.

"Nowhere," He said, taking a sip of his own coffee.

Caroline gave him a knowing look. "You went to go see Tyler, didn't you?"

He shrugged, and smiled. "I promised you I wouldn't let anything happen to you."


End file.
